John E. Larkin, Sr.

John E. Larkin Sr. passed away on October 29, 2024, at Elmhurst Hospital at the age of 76. Born on December 27, 1947, John dedicated three years of service to the US Army and a tour of duty in Vietnam, a testament to his commitment and patriotism.

Professionally, John was a respected locomotive engineer, a career that highlighted his precision and reliability. His personal passions included gardening and coin collecting, hobbies that brought him great joy and satisfaction throughout his life.

A graveside service will be held at Queen of Heaven Cemetery on Monday, November 4th at 11 am. John’s life was marked by his quiet dedication to his duties and the simple pleasures he valued. His presence will be deeply missed.

John was my loving, caring husband of over 58 years. We supported one another through the good times and the bad. We were a team. He was hard-working and took good care of his family. He was greatly appreciated for all that he did. John was a grandfather better know as ‘Grampy’. He dearly loved his grandchildren. He will be missed more than I could possibly describe. Love you John; kiss, hug, squeeze. – Rita

Dad, you are my hero. You taught me how to swim, how to ride a bike, how to drive, how to be a good, strong person and a million other things that help me every day. I cherish all your stories about your childhood & your adventures on the railroad. You were there for me during the worst time of my life, and you were there with me to celebrate 20 years sober. One of my best memories is us watching “Yankee Doodle Dandy” together every year on the 4th of July. You will always be a part of my heart & soul. I love you more than words can ever say. Love, Hope

I’ll remember many of our escapades like going fishing at Tampier slough for some evening fishing, then ending up staying all night! And going to a gas station to call Mom and let her know. Way too much to say here, but know I love you, respect you, and am immensely grateful for all you’ve done for me and all of us. – your #1 son

My dad was a gentle soul who worked the railroad to provide for a family of five. He would bring me home lollipops and smooshed pennies when I was little. I’ll always remember his love of fishing and vegetable gardening. He was the best dad and a wonderful human who will be very missed. – Brooke

I’ll always fondly remember spending time helping Grampy plant in the garden when visiting as a little kid and excitedly waiting for the cucumbers, corn, and watermelon grow until everyone could eat it. I’m very grateful that he was able to support and enjoy all my music concerts and plays and hearing “you were the best/ you were my favorite”, always made me happy and made every good and bad parts all worth it. I’ll forever miss your support, love, and care. – Lillian

I will never forget the delicious veggies from the garden, helping be santa’s elf helper at Christmas, and of course the exciting bonus wins at chuck e cheese. I will be forever grateful to have had his support in every part of my life and always putting in effort to see me play volleyball. And I can never forget my favorite joke, “You stink good!”. I never will forget the cheesy jokes and constant love, support, and light he brought into everyone’s life around him. – Evelyn

John was a man of character, a gentleman, and a man of humble strength. He was a loving, committed, and supportive husband, father, grampy, father in law, brother, and friend. A man who asked little from others, and accepted little help from others. I’ll miss those moments when he graciously accepted your help and treated him special. Mostly, I’ll miss being able to come over to visit, talk, and listen to his life/engineer stories over a cup of killer danish coffee he just made. – Christine

My fondest memory of John my father-in-law: When we went to the Illinois railroad museum and hearing the stories and how proud of I was to hear that he ran one the engines that was actually in the museum. You were the nicest man. You will be missed! – Tim

I think my favorite memories all stem from watching him play with the kids. Watching Tommy pop out from a hiding space to “Boo” Grampy and his reactions will always put a smile on my face because it put a smile on Tommy’s face too! It was the same for Theresa with her “tickles” that she could not get enough of. He brought happiness to the whole family and his love will always be remembered and appreciated. – Ryan

“Ladies & Gentleman, my mother thanks you, my father thanks you, my sister & brother thank you, and I thank you.”